All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

The Guardian

Smith has crafted an album that is deft, addictive and profoundly musical, and it feels like a fresh-minted classic.

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Stylus Magazine

His best [album] yet, his most fully-formed, emotionally engaging and sonically rewarding.

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New Musical Express

A set of immense maturity that never rubs your nose in its thematic complexity, compositional innovation and thunderous thump-beats. [29 Jan 2005, p.58]

Entertainment Weekly

A thrilling mix of moody ambivalence and soulful reggae-tinged hip-hop. [27 May 2005, p.1341]

ShakingThrough.net

Awfully Deep is another strong release for Smith, and while it doesn’t sport the effortless flow of his debut or the rich variety of Run Come Save Me, its considered assessment of where he’s been and where he might be heading helps the album more than live up to its title.

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Dusted Magazine

Smith’s tracks are both banging and self-effacing, yet the two opposite impulses never seem fully at odds with each other.

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Dot Music

It’s Manuva’s startling honesty which first impresses.

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Q Magazine

Smith's greatest talent lies in his surreal, witty wordplay and avuncular tone, and the way they combine to make what could be the usual rap anger sound both intimate and strangely uplifting. [Feb 2005, p.95]

Tiny Mix Tapes

The music is often awesomely original.

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Playlouder

A stealthy, smoking beast of a thing: hip hop with a British passport and dubplate roots, embroidered with wiggly, scratching sound effects and made-to-measure production.

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Uncut

THe good stuff is terrific. [Mar 2005, p.104]

Mojo

Smith's best, most satisfying album to date. [Mar 2005, p.106]

PopMatters

Not a brilliant album, not his best (that remains Run Come Save Me), just a damn fine selection of mood-groove-dub-flavours by one of music's true inimicables.

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Junkmedia

Awfully Deep, on the whole, is a bold, ambitious swing for the fences. But, like it or not, the game's done changed, and Manuva '05 sounds way too much like Manuva '01.

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Blender

It's protest music gone gleefully psycho. [Jul 2005, p.122]

Pitchfork

Awfully Deep makes for churning, menacing background music.

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All Music Guide

Overall, Roots Manuva may have a lot to say during the verses, but when his choruses consist of little more than a repeated line shouted over and over ("Awfully Deep," "Too Cold"), listeners won't be hanging around long enough to decipher his rhymes.

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Spin

His third album mostly shelves the wit and sui generis style-clash. [Jun 2005, p.108]

cokemachineglow

It’s a lot of slickness that adds up to little, though, as a culturally myopic Roots Manuva audibly struggles to feel out the changed face of hip-hop; he sounds unsure of what tone to take and what words to say.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jimmy gave it a10:
Pure Goodness

Chicken Supreme gave it a9:
One of the albums of the year for sure as Mr Smith once again matches dub up with electro squelches to create a very personal and touching album.

Andrew O gave it a10:
At times....dark, bright, sad, happy, serious, playfull...but entirely honest. Almost a "Brand New Second Hand."

Vladislaw W gave it a9:
Another awesome album by Rodney, this mate's like Fugazi - he doesn't record sub-par albums

Cornald M gave it a9:
This is the most inventive artist I've heard in years. Great wicked beats and vague lyrics whith an incredible flow.

Derek L gave it a9:
Awfully Deep, is an awfully good third album. Witness the Fitness.

Radek L gave it a9:
Awfully deep & awfully great!!!

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Awfully Deep

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